


loyal for

by orphan_account



Series: trouble will find me [1]
Category: B.A.P
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Gen, M/M, hints of magical realism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 12:18:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12817365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Youngjae is part of a circuit of hunters, had gotten caught up with them when he stumbled across the man who would become his mentor in the middle of a fight with a werewolf. He’s the only hunter in his town now, his mentor doesn’t ever stay in one place like that. He’s pulled a bit of a reputation, the other kids at school won’t say anything to him about it, but he catches their stares, their whispers to each other, the way they flinch sometimes when his lips curl into a snarl.





	loyal for

**Author's Note:**

> cw: violence, blood, gore (hopefully not that bad, just a warning)

“Fuck,” Youngjae says, hears the tear of claws through his hoodie before he feels the cuts against his side. He twists, the dead leaves on the ground seem to lock onto his ankles, his legs tangling miserably and making him fall in a heap.

He barely rolls in time to miss the werewolf snapping his jaws down where Youngjae’s head would have been. The werewolf smells bad, he can see the crusted blood on it’s maw and can smell the death on it’s breath. He’s trying to not pant so hard so the smell isn’t rocketing up into his nostrils and mouth.

Rolling back onto his feet, Youngjae kicks out hard, feels his steel-toed boot make contact. The werewolf grunts, stumbles back to get away from Youngjae. The werewolf is standing again, on two legs and hideously human-like. The wolf face and surreally tall, fur-covered body being the worst parts. Youngjae was never tall to begin with, is dwarfed by the creature he’s fighting.

Blood is sluggishly dripping down Youngjae’s side, but he ignores it. That’s a problem for later. Right now, he needs to dispatch of this werewolf. Get it out of town at least, make it disappear and leave the locals alone.

It lunges again, coming at Youngjae quicker than the human can move. But, Youngjae is no amateur, waits just long enough for the werewolf to be near enough and vulnerable enough with cockiness to leave itself open.

The knife he pulls is small and quick, cuts shallowly into the werewolves chest when he hits Youngjae, the two of them crashing into the brush and Youngjae wincing from the weight and the pierce of claws into his shoulders. The wolf reacts instantaneously from the cut though, gags and jerks, heaving away from Youngjae and the knife still in his hand. The werewolf looks scared, Youngjae thinks. He doesn’t take much pleasure from this, but it does sooth some angry part of his soul for the werewolf to feel scared, like the people in town that were terrified of leaving their homes.

The werewolf stumbles away, and Youngjae doesn’t follow. The wolfsbane on the knife is enough to kill the werewolf, if it doesn’t have a pack. Youngjae doesn’t think it does, or it would have been weaker and he would have had to fight more than one werewolf. And, Youngjae knows the pack that lives in this area, they keep a low profile and he doesn’t bother them. They know better than to threaten the people in town.

The night is quiet, Youngjae’s breaths loud in the silence after a fight. The insects are buzzing again, a comforting sound. The wetness from the ground is starting to soak through Youngjae’s hoodie and jeans, so he finally shoves himself upright. The cuts on his side and the shoulder burn, and he considers calling Yongguk for a pick up, but decides against it. He’s going to be mad enough that Youngjae was out doing this still anyway, so why push his luck?

It’s a long walk out of the forest, and then through town to Yongguk’s little apartment on the westside of town. No one is out though, so Youngjae’s limp and stumbles are not attracting any stares.

Yongguk isn’t asleep when Youngjae buzzes his apartment, he never is, and he gives Youngjae the most judgmental look he possibly can when he opens his door.

“I thought we agreed you would stop this,” Yongguk says as he stands to the side so Youngjae can slip in.

“Sorry,” Youngjae says back, strips off his ruined hoodie to bare his wounds to the other man.

Yongguk sucks in a sharp breath, puts his hands on Youngjae’s back and examines the shoulder wounds.

“Youngjae,” Yongguk says, and it’s his lecture voice. “These are bad, really bad.”

“I know,” Youngjae mutters, slumps a little and hisses at the pain.

The older man sighs from behind him and steps to the bedroom to pull out the full first aid kit from the closet. They are silent as Yongguk works, cleaning out the dirt and blood from the wounds and applying creams and magic salves. It helps a lot, makes Youngjae release the tension he didn’t realize he was holding. After awhile Yongguk bandages up the wounds, his side wounds getting simple patches and his shoulder wounds getting full wraps around his shoulder and under his arm. It’s uncomfortable, but Yongguk would just tell Youngjae to deal with it so he doesn’t complain.

“Stay here for tonight,” Yongguk says while he’s washing his hands in the sink. “I don’t want you to fuck up my work during the night and bleed out all over your bed.”

“You’d rather I bleed out all over your bed?” Youngjae snarks, standing off to the side in the entrance to the kitchen.

He isn’t facing Youngjae, but he feels like he can see the other man’s eye roll anyway.

“If you start bleeding I’ll stitch you back up again,” Yongguk says, dries his hands and herds Youngjae to the bedroom and gives him a loose sweatshirt and a pair of sweats. Youngjae gets in the shower, bags taped over his bandages, and washes the dirt and grim and blood off himself. He feels tired now, the adrenaline crash making him tilt dangerously in the shower. Yongguk pounds on the door and yells, _the hot water costs money!_ , and Youngjae finally steps out and gets into the sweats.

Yongguk isn’t about to sleep yet, but he helps Youngjae into bed and then tucks him in like he’s his dad. He might as well be, Youngjae supposes, and then falls asleep.

 

 

When he wakes up, he can hear light conversation floating in from the living room. His side and shoulders ache, but he pushes himself up and wanders into the living room.

Junhong smiles at him from the couch, Yongguk in the kitchen struggling to cook something. Youngjae doesn’t feel like trying to help, slumps onto the couch next to Junhong.

“I heard you went out last night,” Junhong begins, eyes narrowed. “I thought--”

“I know, I know. I promised I wouldn’t go out again,” Youngjae snaps, feels bad after Junhong’s mouth closes quickly and the younger kid looks away quickly.

“Sorry,” Youngjae says, puts an arm around Junhong’s shoulders (even though his own shoulders protest the movement) and pulls him close. “You’re right, I did.”

“You should be more careful,” Junhong sniffs, wraps an arm lightly around Youngjae’s waist to hold him close.

“I’m trying,” Youngjae says softly, feels tired even though he just woke up.

Yongguk sets plates down loudly at the table, draws their attention. “Enough sulking,” he says, “breakfast is ready.”

Yongguk is too nice for his own good, took in Junhong and Youngjae like he was their father. They technically live in the orphanage on the eastside of town, but Youngjae slips out most of the time and ends up here, Junhong doesn’t like making the walk in the dark so he stays at the orphanage until the morning usually. They’re similar, their families snatched from them by werewolves. Nearly at the same time too, they had been neighbors and Youngjae’s family had been taken first. The next night saw Junhong’s family gone also. Yongguk doesn’t have the money or the power to adopt them, so they just decline all visitors and end up here most of the time.

The older man is a mage, one of the small time mages in the city that don’t do much, he mainly works a real job during the day at the food pantry. His magic isn’t very strong and the most he uses it for is healing Youngjae.

He used to put the wolfsbane on Youngjae’s knife for him, but he doesn’t approve of that anymore. Youngjae has to outsource for that now, but it’s OK. It prevents him from going out, so it’s probably for the best.

They banter a bit over the food, Youngjae feeling better the longer they spend time together. It’s a Sunday, Youngjae has nothing much to do and Yongguk doesn’t start his shift until later in the day. It’s homely, a bit of warmth that Youngjae craves.

When Yongguk leaves for work, Junhong and Youngjae pass time playing video games, Youngjae whining about how his hurt shoulders hinder him so Junhong should give him advantages.

They go back to the orphanage before Yongguk gets home, leave a note on the fridge with lots of smiley faces about how they would be back after school tomorrow.

 

 

When Monday comes, Youngjae is tired. His wounds sting and pull uncomfortably when he moves. He wears a baggy sweatshirt and jeans to school, Junhong casting him curious looks everytime he winces.

Daehyun notices, of course, somehow notices before Youngjae even gets to their lockers.

The other teen is turned to look at Youngjae with narrowed eyes as he trudges down the hall, eyes sweeping over his form and lingering on the awkward way Youngjae is holding his shoulders. Catches the way he flinches when someone almost knocks into his side.

Daehyun is like a dog, Youngjae thinks, so expressive and boisterous and touchy and clingy.

“What happened to you?” Daehyun hisses, Junhong slinks around Youngjae and Daehyun accepts the hug he’s given from the younger teen.

Youngjae is determined to avoid this scolding, keeps his lips closed and eyes on his locker.

“He went back out again,” Junhong says, and then he shrugs when Youngjae spins to glare at him. “He’s gonna figure out either way.”

Daehyun is now turned back to him and giving him the most annoyed look he can possibly make. “You promised,” he says, and Youngjae can hear the hurt in his voice. Fuck, he’s so overdramatic.

“I won’t do it again, I swear,” Youngjae starts, turning and taking Daehyun’s hands in his own to plead properly.

“Stop,” Daehyun snaps, pulls his hands away, “that’s what you said last time. This is serious, Youngjae.”

Junhong shifts awkwardly behind Daehyun, turns his head to not watch them. Youngjae can already feel the teasing Junhong is going to give him when they’re at Yongguk’s. Can hear the way him and Yongguk gossip and bet on him and Daehyun.

“I know,” Youngjae says just as sharp. “This was the last time, I just couldn’t let it slide. But it’s really the last time now. I swear, Daehyun, I _swear_.”

Daehyun purses his lips, eyes Youngjae for a second or two, and then turns back to his own locker to collect his books. “I’ll see you in class,” he says, leaves Junhong and Youngjae in the hallway.

“What do you mean you couldn’t let it slide?” Junhong asks quietly, leaning close to Youngjae. Out of everyone in Youngjae’s life, Junhong understands him best. He disapproves of what Youngjae does, but he still _gets it_ the way Yongguk and Daehyun don’t.

“The werewolf was stalking some poor family. That’s why I went. They called me and told me that they were too scared to leave their home, that their home didn’t feel safe. I can’t let that happen. I won’t just leave people to suffer and have no help.” Youngjae mutters, glares into his locker at the picture he has of him and Daehyun at the back. Daehyun’s smiling, his sharp canines showing and his cheeks bunched up into whiskers. Youngjae is smiling also, and Youngjae knows Daehyun will come around by the end of the day, but he still hurts a little.

Junhong sighs, smooths a hand down Youngjae’s back and says, “We don’t want to lose you,” and then he turns and goes to his own first period class.

Werewolves and magic are like an open secret. People won’t talk about it, but if someone happens to have a bit of a reputation it wouldn’t be questioned. Werewolves are more talked about, especially when they are open threats, but it’s not really something the police deal with. It’s never serious or substantiated until someone dies, really. The cops unwillingness to get involved is only because of how hard it is to justify waiting out a werewolf. They aren’t trained the way Youngjae is, he can find a werewolf quickly because he knows how they work. He knows how they stalk and how they kill. Police just cannot be specialized like that for rare cases of supernatural involvement. Especially now that hunters are numerous, that there are people more heavily entrenched in that world.

Youngjae is part of a circuit of hunters, had gotten caught up with them when he stumbled across the man who would become his mentor in the middle of a fight with a werewolf. He’s the only hunter in his town now, his mentor doesn’t ever stay in one place like that. He’s pulled a bit of a reputation, the other kids at school won’t say anything to him about it, but he catches their stares, their whispers to each other, the way they flinch sometimes when his lips curl into a snarl. He’s helped a lot of them, actually, a lot of the calls coming from his peers.

But, Daehyun and Yongguk and Junhong had sat with him one day.

“Youngjae,” Yongguk said, “we don’t want you to die.”

“We’re scared for you,” Daehyun whispered, eyes so big and his lip trembling like he wanted to cry.

“I can’t lose you also,” Junhong said sadly, looking at the floor.

Youngjae only barely remembers those words, the haze from the drugs the hospital were giving him for his pain stealing most of the conversation from his mind. He remembers Yongguk’s tears, so startling and jarring, remembers Daehyun pleading with him for days to please, please Youngjae don’t die, just pull through, remembers Junhong holding his hand and looking a thousand miles away.

They’re right, this town is too charged for him to be the sole hunter. The town is too close to a big city, too close to a good forest, it’s known to be a high activity area. The cops are even more tuned than in other towns, the way they let Youngjae get away with things, the way a donation pays for Youngjae’s hospital trips, things that make it a little easier.

The bell jars Youngjae out of his reverie, has to snap his locker closed and speed walk to class.

 

By the middle of the day, Daehyun is glued back to Youngjae’s side.

“Next time you almost die I won’t come visit you,” he sniffs at lunch, eats his sandwich angrily. Youngjae pouts at him, watches his eyes catch on his lips and slide back up to meet his eyes.

“I’m not going to do it again,” Youngjae says, drinks out of his straw noisily, “so I won’t almost die again.”

“You better not,” Daehyun mumbles, leans in closer so his side is pressing against Youngjae’s good side.

 

Daehyun is waiting at Youngjae’s locker when they get out of their last class.

“Come back to my house,” he says, lingers as Youngjae tosses his books into his locker.

“We told Yongguk we would be at his place after school,” Youngjae says, looks at Daehyun and takes in the way he’s shifting nervously and looking like he’s about to burst out of his own skin. “Are you OK?”

“What?” Daehyun says loudly. “Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”

Youngjae stares at him suspiciously and says, “You can come with us, if you want.”

Daehyun laughs too loudly and too quickly, “No, no. It’s fine. Um, I’ll see you tomorrow.” And then he turns and leaves. Youngjae stares after him, watch the way he walks stiffly through the masses of students.

“What’s up with him?” Junhong asks from behind him, makes Youngjae jump.

“Don’t sneak up on me,” Youngjae says snidely, and then, “I’m not sure why he’s being like that.”

“Weird,” Junhong shrugs.

 

 

Daehyun is weird for the rest of the week, seems on edge and twitchy everytime he and Youngjae talk. He brushes it off anytime Youngjae tries to bring it up though, and Youngjae just sighs. It’s their last semester here, they’re graduating soon and only have a month left. If Daehyun wants to be weird, that’s on him.

It’s on the weekend when Youngjae figures out what’s up with him. Daehyun drags him out to the ice cream store in the north part of town, they go to the park after, the sun sinking to the horizon and the sky going a pleasant mix of oranges and pinks.

Daehyun stares at Youngjae extra hard, makes Youngjae’s cheeks flush.

“What?” Youngjae demands finally, turns to look Daehyun in the face.

“Will you go to the party after graduation with me?” Daehyun blurts, his own cheeks heating and his eyes darting away to look over Youngjae’s shoulder.

“Oh,” Youngjae says, nods once. “As like...”

Daehyun’s lips quirk, his eyes center back on Youngjae’s. “As a couple.”

Youngjae smiles. Daehyun’s whiskers show.

 

 

There has always been something about Daehyun that Youngjae gravitates to. They met the year after Youngjae’s family had been killed, Daehyun moving into town with his family. He has a bunch of siblings and they’re all alike. Daehyun stands out the most to Youngjae, though. They connect immediately, Daehyun soothing over the rough edges of Youngjae’s personality and Youngjae giving Daehyun something to hold onto.

Daehyun is the first person Youngjae calls after he meets Himchan.

Daehyun is the first person Youngjae calls after his first kill.

Daehyun is the first person Youngjae calls when he’s in the ditch, blood sluggishly pumping out of the wound in his throat, makes a terrible gargling noise into the phone and passes out.

They’re bonded in a lot of ways, Daehyun coming out to Youngjae, Youngjae coming out to Daehyun. Daehyun confiding in Youngjae his worries and fears and Daehyun holding onto Youngjae _so hard_ when he’s about to leave to go hunt. Youngjae telling Daehyun his past, the terror he feels for Junhong and Yongguk. His paranoia, his tension.

They just click so easily, melding together like two peas in a pod. Daehyun’s mother says they’re like brothers, Youngjae thinks decidedly unbrotherly things about Daehyun.

Daehyun is easy to read, his big eyes quick to shed tears, his eyebrows narrow quickly to display his annoyance, his lips purse to show his anger. He acts with his heart, and maybe that’s why Youngjae loves him. Loves that he never needs to guess with him, feels like he knows him so well that he can just relax, is never taken by surprise. He’s a nice contrast, loud, clingy, emotional, to Yongguk and Junhong’s more subdued brand of love. Junhong can be just as loud, just as clingy, but he’s so patently Yongguk that it feels different. Daehyun is just easy to love, easy to be with.

Youngjae isn’t sure what makes Daehyun stay around him, makes Daehyun put up with what he’s like and how he has a tendency to snap. Daehyun does also, he supposes, so it balances.

Daehyun’s anger can run red hot when he isn’t controlling it, had once snapped so hard at Youngjae that Youngjae had skipped school for three days out of fear of being fought with.

They don’t have secrets, Youngjae thinks.

 

 

On Sunday, Youngjae is stomping through the rain to Yongguk’s apartment. He left Daehyun’s house in the suburbs about twenty minutes ago, intends to make the whole forty-five minute walk back to Yongguk’s because he loves Yongguk. Usually, one of Daehyun’s siblings would drive him back to Yongguk’s, but they all but kicked him out earlier, had said they needed to attend to something urgently.

Daehyun had been very insistent, standing on the sidewalk with his hands on Youngjae’s cheeks, “be careful, OK?” and Youngjae had promised he would.

He told them he was going back to the orphanage, only about a twenty-five minute walk, but he decided he would rather go to Yongguk’s after they had all left and he was walking out into the actual city.

It’s not super late, only about 10PM, but the further he gets the less people seem to be milling around. Yongguk doesn’t live in a particularly great part of town, but Youngjae isn’t nervous. He’s been trained to fight werewolves, humans are nothing to him.

His phone vibrates in his coat pocket, a text from Daehyun.

 _did you get home_  
  
Youngjae is just opening the text when he hears it. The _click click_ of claws on the cement. The rustle of fur.

Oh.

Youngjae starts running, sneakers smacking the wet ground loudly and the rain stinging his eyes. He was really committed to not hunting this time. He didn’t even carry his knife anymore, he hadn’t even gone back to Jongup to get wolfsbane put on it. It was sitting worthless in his closet at the orphanage.

This is new. Werewolves don’t hunt him down. Werewolves don’t venture into the city for him. Werewolves aren’t supposed to know him enough to hunt him, werewolves do not go into the city for just anybody.

Youngjae had been hoping that if he ran the werewolf would leave him be, decide the extra work isn’t worth it.

He was wrong.

Werewolves are faster than humans. A mass of wet fur barrels Youngjae over, his phone clattering across the pavement into an alleyway, Youngjae face-planting so hard into the ground his nose crunches disgustingly and his forehead busts open. There’s blood running all over Youngjae’s face, the werewolf is putting all of it’s weight on Youngjae’s back, claws digging into his side, his old wounds stinging back to life.

Squirming, Youngjae throws his head back to smash into the werewolves snout, it makes a yowling noise and jerks back. Youngjae gets enough leverage then to push himself up, knocking the werewolf off of him. Youngjae’s head hurts so bad, and everything feels like it’s moving too slow. The werewolf lunges again, but Youngjae drops to the ground, the werewolf putting too much force into the lunge to redirect and ends up smashing into the concrete wall. Youngjae takes the opportunity and runs again, sprints further towards Yongguk’s.

Youngjae runs on adrenaline alone for the twenty minute sprint he makes. When he makes it to Yongguk’s apartment, he’s gasping for breath. He’s choking also, blood from his nose is running down his throat. Youngjae gags, leans over and spits, tries to clear his airway.

Eventually, soaking wet and bloody, head pounding, body shaking from adrenaline still, Youngjae buzzes Yongguk’s apartment. His fingers won’t stop shaking enough for him to get the code entered. Yongguk has his door open when Youngjae finally makes it up the stairs, and he rushes out to grab Youngjae when he sees him.

“What happened?” Yongguk asks loudly, drags Youngjae into the apartment and to the bedroom, sets Youngjae on the bed and leans him forward to get the blood to drip.

“I wasn’t hunting,” Youngjae says, voice nasally and hoarse. He feels like he just got hit by a truck and the adrenaline crash he’s starting to get is making him feel worse.

Youngjae doesn’t hear what Yongguk says next, too focused on the pounding in his head and ears.

They end up at the hospital. Youngjae has a concussion and a broken nose. The broken nose is bruising so bad that it looks like he has two black eyes.

Daehyun shows up at the hospital before Youngjae gets released for the night.

He’s crying, big fat tears down his cheeks and his hands shake when he wraps them around Youngjae’s biceps.

“I thought I said I never wanted to see you here again,” Daehyun barely gets out, sniffling half way through and sounding so wrecked.

“I wasn’t hunting,” Youngjae says for what has to be the hundredth time tonight.

“I know,” Daehyun whispers, fingers brushing over Youngjae’s jaw and cheeks and lips.

 

 

Two weeks later, Youngjae is nearly recovered. They found his phone after it happened. His nose is still fucked up, but it hasn’t healed crooked yet so he’s counting it as a win.

He writes the attack off as a coincidence. He hadn’t recognized the werewolf and it had let him go, so.

But, while he’s walking from the grocery store to Yongguk’s. It happens again.

The _click click_ sets Youngjae on edge immediately. He has his knife this time. He didn’t get wolfsbane on it, but he needed it to feel comfortable. He’s glad he’s carrying it now.

He spins, his head aching distinctly from it, but the werewolf is almost on top of him already. It’s a different one this time, fur darker and closer to black. Youngjae snaps the knife out, slashes down hard. The werewolf makes a noise at the cut, but doesn’t otherwise stop. Claws sink hard into Youngjae’s chest, the flash of pain making him gasp loudly.

They brawl for about ten minutes, Youngjae’s head hurting so bad, echoing the concussion that he wasn’t fully recovered from, the blood dripping off of him again, the snarls so loud he can barely think.

Youngjae ends up cutting so deep into the werewolves neck that it gurgles and blood pours out onto Youngjae, grotesque and savage.

He’s sitting in an alley, shaking so hard his teeth clack together like he’s shivering. His wounds aren’t awful this time. But his concussion is making a showing again. His concentration is shot. He can barely get himself together. There’s a text on his phone from Yongguk.

_Where are you?_

He dials slowly, the number so engrained in his memory that a concussion can’t even snatch it out of his grasp.

“Long time no see, kiddo,” Himchan rumbles over the line after two rings.

“I need your help,” Youngjae says slowly, tries to sound normal, comes out sounding like he’s dying.

 

 

Two days later, Himchan is at Yongguk’s door.

There is tension there. Yongguk doesn’t like what Himchan got Youngjae into, Himchan doesn’t think Yongguk deserves to stop Youngjae from hunting.

They both love Youngjae though, Himchan shoulders in and beelines right for Youngjae on the couch.

His fingers hover over Youngjae’s shoulders, questioning. Youngjae opens his arms and lets Himchan hug him softly.

“I’m so sorry, Youngjae.” Himchan murmurs into his hair, his hands stroking comfortingly down his back.

Youngjae hasn’t left the apartment since the second attack, has been too nervous to venture out again.

Yongguk hovers by them, awkward and protective.

“Tell me what’s happening,” Himchan says when he pulls away, pats Youngjae’s knee and looks at him with so much care that Youngjae’s face scrunches with emotion. Yongguk looks alarmed, but Himchan just takes Youngjae’s hand and squeezes it.

He spills to Himchan everything, starts from when he was left in the ditch. How he didn’t want to die like that and how he wants to quit for the people he has left but how he can’t seem to just _stop_. How he’s finally getting a grasp on quitting but now he’s being attacked. Tells Himchan as many details he can remember, Himchan is quiet, nods and listens.

“This is my fault,” Himchan says, pushes the bangs out of Youngjae’s swollen eyes. Yongguk makes a noise of aggreement, and Himchan levels him with a glare that shuts him up.

“I shouldn’t have left you here by yourself, the town is too active. We both know it, I’m sorry, Youngjae.”

Youngjae shrugs lightly, drops his eyes to his lap. “I wanted to, I want to, but I don’t want to die. I like to help people.”

Himchan sighs, leans back on the couch. “This is weird. It’s not unusual really for werewolves to go after hunters, but so persistently? It doesn’t make sense. Are you sure they’re not from the local pack?”

Youngjae purses his lips to think. The local pack is not very big, he knows their color pattern, all similar except for a sub-group of werewolves in the pack. It hints at them not being originally in the pack, but he only knows that much.

“They don’t look related to the pack,” Youngjae says, because that’s all he really has to say. It’s enough to go off, really, because packs are family. The two werewolves he has seen so far hadn’t seemed like they were related, their fur patterns different enough to make Youngjae suspect they were loners.

Himchan hums, taps his fingers on his knees. “I think I’ll go visit the pack, ask them if they know anything.”

“Be careful,” Youngjae says, and Himchan smiles at him.

“You be careful, I don’t think you should go by yourself anywhere. They keep attacking you when you’re alone, right? Don’t go anywhere with out me.” Himchan stands, puts his hands on his hips.

“We’ll get it figured out, OK?” He says, looking at Youngjae with the same look he gave him when Youngjae did good on a hunt.

“Yeah,” Youngjae says back, smiles up at Himchan.

“Alright, I’ll be back in a bit, the pack still hang out where they used to?” Himchan asks, walking towards the front door.

“I think so, I don’t bother them much,” Youngjae says loudly, letting his voice carry to where Himchan is. He gives the teen a thumbs up and leaves.

Yongguk sinks into the couch next to Youngjae. “I don’t like him.”

 

 

Himchan gives Junhong a noogie before they make it into the school, Junhong shouting and wiggling. It makes Youngjae laugh, eye crinkling and high pitched.

Youngjae looks better now, all of his swelling has gone down and his bruises have long faded. He’s in a loose sweater to better hide the bandaging around his torso and chest, but otherwise he’s back to not looking like he’s dying.

He’s been escorted everywhere he needs to go by Himchan, and Himchan had been hunting around when not on escort Youngjae duty. The local pack had said they didn’t know the wolves causing problems, had also noticed that they were lurking around. They told Himchan that they had been trying to scare them off, but would try harder now.

Local packs and hunters have a symbiotic relationship. They leave each other alone because they benefit each other. Hunters can use help from local packs in finding unruly and troublemaking wolves, and local packs can use hunters to get rid of pesky wolves that are encroaching on their territory. Youngjae doesn’t feel comfortable talking to the local pack yet, even if he’s been doing this stuff for years now. Himchan is an old pro though, is welcomed back by the local pack.

Daehyun wraps his arms lightly around Youngjae’s waist then, makes him jump from the suddenness of it. Resting his chin on Youngjae’s shoulder, Daehyun and Himchan share a look that Youngjae can’t decipher. Himchan finally releases Junhong, who sticks his tongue out at the older man and runs into the school building. Youngjae laughs, lets his eyes follow Junhong.

“I’ll be here after school,” Himchan says, and Daehyun makes a noise in his throat.

“That’s OK, he’s coming back to my house.” Daehyun says, leans his head against Youngjae’s.

Himchan hesitates, gives Daehyun another look that Youngjae can’t understand.

“I should walk with him,” Himchan says steadily, like he hadn’t just hesitated.

Daehyun is quiet for a second, his breath huffs onto Youngjae’s neck. “Fine then,” he says a little snottily, and Himchan for a second looks like he’s about to flick Daehyun, but decides against it last minute and turns to walk back to the street.

“How do you know Himchan so well?” Youngjae questions, Daehyun finally detaching himself and walking next to Youngjae into the building.

Daehyun shrugs, “Just because of you, I guess.”

 

 

The end of the semester, and Youngjae’s time in high school come quickly. He takes his finals, the last finals of his life, probably, and goes to graduation. Himchan, Yongguk, and Junhong are in the crowd for him, and Himchan and Yongguk definitely cry, Junhong tells him about it after as they are all grouped together after it all.

Daehyun slinks up to the group and wraps an arm around Youngjae’s waist. “We’re still going to the party?” Daehyun asks, lips against Youngjae’s ear.

“Yes,” Youngjae says, and Himchan raises an eyebrow at them.

Yongguk already knows the plan though, reaches out and playfully grabs the front of Daehyun’s robe. “Don’t do anything crazy, you hear me? I have eyes everywhere.”

Daehyun laughs, grabs onto Yongguk’s wrists and pretends to shake in fear. “Yes, yes, Mr. Bang, I’ll be good for your son!”

Junhong is wheezing from next to Himchan, and Youngjae is smiling so hard his cheeks hurt. It’s nice. He feels happy, he hasn’t been worried for weeks now about being attacked, his head doesn’t hurt, his body isn’t sore. He feels lighter than he has in a year.

“What, what’s happening?” Himchan asks loudly, throwing his hands up to get attention from them.

“We’re going to a graduation party,” Daehyun says smugly, fingers finding Youngjae’s hand to hold on.

Himchan frowns, looks at Yongguk and doesn’t see any form of support.

“Is that...safe?” Himchan asks, eyes landing back on Youngjae.

“Yes,” Daehyun says at the same time Yongguk says, “We haven’t had any issues for weeks, the local pack gave us an all clear.”

Himchan looks skeptical, but Yongguk puts a hand on his shoulder. “Let him have some fun,” and Himchan deflates then.

 

 

Two hours later, Daehyun and Youngjae show up to the party. It’s at one of their peers houses, one of the big houses that can fit everyone in their class. It’s rural, so the music pumps loud and the neon lights inside are flashing without a care. Daehyun’s brother drops them off, tells them to be safe.

Daehyun’s black hair is fluffy and he had put makeup on for this, had put makeup on Youngjae also. They’re both in jeans, but Daehyun’s are black and tight and Youngjae’s jeans are dark blue and tight also, but not nearly as tight as Daehyun’s.

Youngjae’s hair is plain brown, Daehyun had parted it just so that his forehead was showing a bit, had declared him _very sexy_ , and then they had left. Daehyun is in a plain black shirt, but it fits him so well, Youngjae did the same, had stolen one of Daehyun’s black shirts. They’re too big on Youngjae, but Daehyun had gotten this look on his face when Youngjae put it on that told Youngjae it was a good choice.

They migrate to the drinks, Youngjae sipping his slowly. Daehyun drinks his faster, drags Youngjae out to the group of people dancing. Neither of them are particularly gifted with dance, but it’s packed enough that Daehyun and him can just grind together in rhythm and call it good.

Their relationship isn’t complicated. Technically. They’re best friends, sure, but there is more to it. Youngjae has always wanted Daehyun, has always found him beautiful and captivating and everything he wants. Daehyun looks at Youngjae sometimes with eyes so full of love that Youngjae wants to kiss him right then. Especially recently, the tension had been mounting. It wasn’t _just friends,_ it was something more. This was not a _friendly_ outing. This was them making the steps into a relationship. Into being boyfriends, into something.

Youngjae knows this. They haven’t bothered to kiss yet, mainly because Youngjae had been beaten black and blue and his nose was sore and everything hurt, but also because they weren’t ready yet. This was them being ready.

They’re in the crowd, close enough for their breaths to be hitting each other’s cheeks, and Youngjae is tired of waiting. Tired of being handled gently, tired of being scared, tired of not being in control.

His lips meet Daehyun’s and fireworks go off in his head. He’s gasping already and they haven’t even done anything. Daehyun’s hands on his hips tighten, pull him closer somehow, slides his lips across Youngjae’s and licks into his mouth. It’s so hot, Daehyun’s teeth catching on his bottom lip and sucking lightly, it makes him dizzy.

They makeout in the crowd for awhile, still grinding on each other. Eventually, they go back for a second drink. Daehyun goes back for a third also, actually, and he’s pleasantly tipsy when he finds Youngjae again.

Daehyun is so beautiful, sweaty and smelling like alcohol, but Youngjae still finds him so attractive. It’s almost too much, and he has to put his hands on the other man, dig his nails into his sides, pull him closer.

They’re in one of the hallways now, there’s another couple making out further down, and people are brushing by them fairly frequently.

It’s nice, Youngjae’s back against the wall, arms wrapped around Daehyun’s waist, legs spread enough for him to stand closer to him.

There’s a brief second, Youngjae’s hand wandering back to Daehyun’s front, sliding down towards his belt, when Daehyun tenses, hard.

Youngjae drops his hand quickly, looks into Daehyun’s eyes questioningly. It’s a stare down then, Daehyun breathing heavily, Youngjae shifting uncomfortably under the gaze.

“This isn’t a good idea,” Daehyun says, doesn’t even sound tipsy anymore.

“What?” Youngjae says back, maybe too loudly.

Daehyun goes to shift away, but Youngjae keeps his other arm around his waist, keeps him close.

“Why?” Youngjae pouts, tips his head back and looks at Daehyun pleadingly. “What’s wrong?”

“This just isn’t a good idea,” Daehyun says again, voice infuriatingly calm.

“Why?” Youngjae asks again, but not pouting anymore, he can feel the burn in his stomach from anger. Feels angry that Daehyun isn’t giving him a reason, that Daehyun is pushing him away.

“Youngjae,” he says, in the voice he puts on when Youngjae is being particularly difficult about something. The voice he puts on when Youngjae is riled up after a fight with Yongguk, when he’s trying to make Youngjae see sense again.

“What the fuck?” Youngjae snaps, drops his arm around Daehyun’s waist and pushes so he’s no longer leaning on the wall. He’s never felt the height difference between him and Daehyun more than he does now. “Stop being a dick, we’re not kids.”

Daehyun’s nostrils flare a little. “Don’t make this difficult.”

“Don’t make _what_ difficult? I don’t even understand what’s happening! It’s OK if you don’t want to do anything else other than kiss, I don’t care.” Youngjae flails his arms around, nearly hits someone pushing by in the hallway.

Daehyun makes a choking noise, looks at the wall over Youngjae’s shoulder. “I just think, I...maybe us together isn’t a good idea.”

Youngjae has never been truly rejected in his life. He’s only ever looked at Daehyun, has only ever wanted Daehyun, hasn’t bothered to act on it until now, when Daehyun had been so enthusiastic about it with him. It stings, that Daehyun is saying this. Has been acting like this was something he wanted all along. Why would he wait until the last minute to do this? When Youngjae had already been dreaming of their future together, as cheesy as it sounds.

“Why? I don’t understand,” Youngjae says, and he hates how he sounds. The way his voice cracks on the second part of his sentence, the way he sounds like he’s pleading.

“It’s just not--” Daehyun gets out, but Youngjae reaches and grabs onto Daehyun’s shirt, yanks hard to bring their faces closer.

“If you’re doing this to me I expect a real reason,” Youngjae says lowly, jaw tight. “Tell me what’s happening.”

“It has come to my attention recently that you don’t know me at all,” Daehyun says like he’s been practicing.

“I, I, what? I don’t know you at all? How can you say that to me? I know everything about you! You’re being ridiculous. Daehyun, just think for a second, please.” Youngjae pleads again, hands still fisted in his shirt.

Youngjae has seen anger on Daehyun in so many ways, but the way Daehyun’s face darkens, the way his shoulders roll back, the way he tips his head back ever so slightly to look down his nose at Youngjae, this has never been an anger that Youngjae has seen. An anger directed at him, no less.

“You don’t know anything about me, Yoo Youngjae.” Daehyun says caustically, like Youngjae is a bug he is crushing under his foot. Like Youngjae isn’t his best friend, the person he has been around for years.

The tone, the way Daehyun looks at him now, it’s all too much. Youngjae has been taught to weaponize and hone his anger. Youngjae has always, always been too angry, too mean, too sharp. That’s why he latched onto Daehyun when Daehyun latched onto him. Daehyun is anger, too, but he’s soft and sweet and kind. Where Youngjae’s anger is mean, Daehyun’s is collected. Where Daehyun’s jokes are pointed, Youngjae’s are even meaner. They balance out, Daehyun is unthinking in his speech, but Youngjae is always thinking. Daehyun is not intentional with his harm, but Youngjae is.

So, Youngjae reaches for that anger. Reaches for the comforting burn that chases the sting of rejection and hurt.

“Go fuck yourself, Daehyun. If I don’t know something it’s because you didn’t let me in. I’ve done everything for you, I quit the only thing I did for _me_ for _you_. I loved _you_. You don’t even want to work this out, do you? How could you do this to me? We’re best friends, _you’re_ the one who asked me to come! Wow.” Youngjae pushes away then, stalks back out into the house. Daehyun doesn’t follow, so Youngjae finds himself by the drinks. He’s lingering, doesn’t know what to do now.

Youngjae has a reputation.

Everyone knows he’s a hunter, it’s an open secret. It’s obvious in the wounds he carries constantly, in the way he says, _I’ll help you_ , over the phone with panicked parents calling about werewolves. He’s not visibly bulky, is quite short, has a baby face. But, people still tiptoe around him. Look at him with caution, like he will snap at them.

They wonder, how can he be a hunter? No one ever asks him directly though, he’s never even considered what to say if someone did ask him. He’s tired now, can feel the eyes on him. Can feel people looking at him with curiosity. It’s too much, he doesn’t hang out without Daehyun because he gets overwhelmed. With Daehyun, he just focuses on the other teen. Without him, all he has to focus on is the way everyone is appraising him, thinking about what he does, did, whatever.

Foolishly, Youngjae decides to just go home. Goes to walk out the front door but sees Daehyun hovering there, turns and finds his way to the back door.

He knows the city and forest so well that even here, a rural property in the south of the city, he still knows how to get back to Yongguk’s apartment. It’s a long walk, he knows, but maybe he will cool down. Maybe reach some understanding. Maybe not feel so tense.

The night is cool, makes goosebumps rise on Youngjae’s arms. He’s not completely stupid, curves so he’s on the edge of the forest, doesn’t do anything that would invite a frisky werewolf grabbing you.

He walks for ten minutes, and then he hears it.

Hears the rustle in the forest.

Hears the crunch in the dead leaves and sticks on the forest floor.

Hears the rise of a snarl in the back of a throat.

But he doesn’t hear just that.

He hears two sets of rustling, two sets of crunching, two sets of separate noises.

Somehow, Youngjae is hit with such a perfect moment of clarity. He gets it now, he remembers now. It had been dark, it hadn’t been very good. Youngjae assumed that werewolf he stabbed with wolfsbane was dead. Had assumed a werewolf so powerful was by itself. Had never accounted for two lone male wolves, probably traveling together to stand a better chance against packs. Stand a better chance against hunters.

He was so stupid, hadn’t even _thought_ of that werewolf again. But he knows now. Knows that werewolves are vengeful. Knows that he made himself their enemy.

He was so stupid to go to this party, to kiss Daehyun, to walk out by himself. To not call Himchan, or Yongguk, or even Daehyun’s fucking brother or someone, anyone.

No one knows he’s here, no one knows he left the party. That he’s on this fucking rural road right next to the forest.

He doesn’t even have a knife.

Himchan was right, like he always is. The pack can’t see everything. If they don’t have verification the wolves are gone themselves, then they can’t conclusively trust the pack.

Youngjae feels so stupid. He runs. Runs like he never has before, even when he was sprinting to Yongguk’s, nearly twists his ankle on the gravel but keeps running, ignores the pain.

The wolves are loud, the sounds of their paws on the gravel behind Youngjae, their panting, their snarls.

They run fast, faster than Youngjae. One of them, the one with the darker coat, catches him, teeth sinking into his calf.

A bite will not turn you, Youngjae has long learned, the turning happens only when the conditions are right. It is not a full moon, they are not by any magic source, and the bite is not in the right place.

He yowls, sounds like a fucking dog himself, and goes down in a heap. The lighter colored one, the one Youngjae stabbed with wolfsbane, is on him then, claws in Youngjae’s back to hold him down.

Struggling, Youngjae kicks and flails wildly, he manages to kick the darker one with his foot hard enough to make it back off, but the lighter colored one bends down and snaps his jaw next to Youngjae’s ear.

Youngjae goes limp, waits to see what will happen. He’s not giving up, he would kill himself before he would give up to a werewolf, but he does need to find an opening first. He’s beat both of these wolves before, there’s no reason he can’t beat them now.

The lighter coated one barks at the darker coat, and then bites Youngjae’s bicep, picks him up enough that way to start dragging him. It hurts, hurts so bad Youngjae’s eye’s are watering. He’s making a proper ruckus now, yelling and screaming, dragging his feet and trying to poke the werewolf’s eyes, he only gets a tighter bite with his increasing struggle.

They’re taking him into the forest, and he’s pretty sure by now that even while on the road he had gone too far from the party for anyone to hear him. It’s looking worse and worse for him, and he is really starting to rethink some things.

Maybe he should have apologized to Yongguk, for being a bad son, for being a leech, for, for so much.

Maybe he should have soothed Himchan’s feelings of guilt more. This isn’t his fault. Youngjae chose to hunt, Youngjae chose everything. Himchan only gave him the tools to survive.

He wishes he could tell Junhong he loves him. Wishes he could hug him one last time.

The tears are falling down his face now, and the dark coated wolf makes a sound like it’s laughing.

Once in the forest, Youngjae finally succeeds in getting a finger in the light coated wolf’s eye, scrambles out of the hold and tries to run again, running towards the party this time.

The dark coated wolf catches him though, slashes him hard on the back, tears his(Daehyun’s) shirt and scratches Youngjae the deepest he’s ever been scratched.

He’s laying on the forest floor, panting, struggling to force the wolf off his back again when he thinks he hears it.

Hears the distant, so, so distant voice.

He has no time to think, though. The light coated wolf coming over and biting Youngjae’s shoulder and _shaking_.

Youngjae properly screams then, feels claws rake across his stomach, gets tossed like a ragdoll. The impact he makes with a tree jars him enough to make his eyes roll back, nearly passes out. He can only feel pain, feels like a fist got shoved through his stomach. He can’t even make himself look down, just looks at the wolves coming towards him again.

Before the wolves get to him, though, suddenly someone is crashing through the forest towards them. Youngjae wants to scream, wants to yell, tell them to leave, tell them that they’ll die if they come. The urge gets worse when the wolves turn towards the sound, when Daehyun bursts into the little part of the forest they’re in.

Youngjae opens his mouth, wants to say something, anything, but then Daehyun is _not_ Daehyun anymore. He’s, well.

 

Daehyun is a werewolf. His coat is a sleek grey, the patterns the ones of the little sub-group in the local pack.

 

Youngjae feels so stupid.

Feels so, so stupid.

Feels something else. Feels betrayed maybe? But then Daehyun has snapped his jaw around the neck of one of the werewolves and tossed, and Youngjae can’t think of anything.

Youngjae has never seen werewolves fight before. It’s always been hunter vs. werewolf. But this, this is. It’s so much. Daehyun is beautiful in motion. Pack wolves are supposed to be weaker, because they work in groups, but Daehyun is doing so well. The light coated wolf is on the ground, hasn’t moved since Daehyun threw him. The dark coated wolf is barely putting up a fight, gets batted to the ground by Daehyun and Youngjae whimpers when Daehyun rips the wolf’s throat out.

The wolf, Daehyun, slides onto all fours, back unnaturally arched the way werewolves are, and walks slowly to where Youngjae is still on the ground.

He must look terrible, he can feel the gravel stuck to his face still, feel the blood draining out of him, Daehyun’s eyes are the same in wolf form as they are in human form. He looks so, so sad.

 

 

Youngjae passes out.

**Author's Note:**

> there will be a part 2 eventually


End file.
